When Fate Strikes
by TinyKawaiiYaoiFangirl
Summary: Who has to save whom when fate strikes?
1. Unexpectedly (Rin)

I know I was being dumb. It was almost cliché, how I was attacked in the alley just after dusk. My guard was down while my anger was up. I was thrown out of yet another exorcism mission. Same excuse, though: "There's too high of a chance that the demon could go after you, making you lose your sword and turning you inhuman." My brother, Yukio would say over and over, countless times.

"How can you be so certain if we've never _tested_ anything?" I muttered disgruntledly to myself while I kicked at a pebble, scuffing my already worn shoes and shoved my hands in my jacket pockets, looking the poster image for petulant teen.

Because I was too absorbed with wallowing in self pity, I didn't exactly notice the dark forms that had begun to surround me. Only when one chuckled evilly did I look up to realize that I'd been ambushed. I reacted immediately, reaching for the demon sword I always kept strapped to my back— before I remembered that Yukio had made me leave it in our safe at home. "Better _safe_ than sorry!" He'd chuckle lamely at his own joke.

I groaned in exasperation knowing that I was royally screwed, before slowly backing up till I could see the majority of the shadowy mob. "Well," I murmured dejectedly, "at least I'm not _missing out_ on any demon-action now"

I clenched my eyes shut; waiting for the end, but.. It never came—

Wait, I suddenly felt a blast of cold wind yet I heard.. _Nothing_.

"Hey, kid," a gruff voice abrubtly called out, making me slowly open my eyes just a bit to peek.

A man stood there with raven black hair, chocolate brown eyes, and an old sword that looked rather useless and rusted. He was dressed oddly in a white t-shirt, a pair of red jeans, and I think he was barefoot.

"Hasn't your mother taught you not to stare?" He snapped.

"Never knew her," I shot back automatically. His eyes flashed when I said this; maybe I struck something? The man cleared his throat and held out a hand. "Inuyasha," he grumbled. I hesitantly took his hand, "Rin. Okumura." I pulled mine back. "What're you doing around here?" I ventured boldly.

Inuyasha frowned. "I could ask the same of you," he countered.

'_Ugh_' I snarled at the ground "My brother-" He snorted. "And that's all I needed to hear.. Younger or older?"

"Technically; we're twins, but I'm the older one. And he's a professor at the college I graduate from this year." Inuyasha's eyebrows went up; it was the usual reaction to this interesting bit of information I rarely shared.

"You're graduated from high school?" He asked incredulously.


	2. Curiosity (Inuyasha)

I really, really, _really _hate turning human.

Wait, sorry— let me rephrase:  
I _fervently despise_ turning human.

And tonight was the one night that happened once every lunar month: the night when I become human.  
Even if it's only till dawn, it still sucks being nearly blind and deaf... Ugh, enough of my whining. Despite having the sight of a bat and the hearing of an armadillo, I still discovered a young man backed into an alley by a group of shadowy figures.  
I watched as they slowly crept closer to the boy and realized that I'd probably have to be the one to save him. Sighing to myself, I drew my tetsusaiga and remembered that it only transformed out of its useless-hunk-of-metal state when I was a demon.  
I growled and lunged at the mob anyway— the sword actually made a nice blunt instrument, so even without using a single wind scar, the scuffle was over almost instantly.

_'Tch,wannabes,'_ I thought to myself before I turned to the boy who was practically trying to meld himself into the wall behind him. "Hey, kid," I called, and he jumped a bit before slowly beginning to open his eyes.

He then did a double-take so hard, I thought I'd have to help him whiplash.  
After I felt as if he'd scrutinized me enough, I frowned and said, "Hasn't your mother taught you not to stare?"

He blinked, then glared. "Never knew her," he snapped.

'_Ouch, at least I can_ remember _mine'  
_I cleared my throat and held out my hand for him to shake. "M'Inuyasha."  
He took my offered hand with a bit of blatantly noticeable hesitancy.

"Rin. Okumura." He dropped my hand like a saimyōshō. "What're you doing around here?"

_'Heh. No small talk with this one... Not much gratitude either,'_ I noted.

"I could ask the same of you," I shot back. His eyes flashed with what looked like anger, and I could hear a faint growl emanating from him.

"My.. Brother-"  
I snorted. "And that's all I needed to hear..," I thought of my own detestable sibling, Sesshomaru. "Younger or older?" I asked.

"Technically, we're twins, but I'm the older one."

_'Oh. Twins, huh? It's still a _lot_ better than having your older brother constantly trying to murder you in your slee-_'

"And he's a professor at the college I graduate from this year."

I'm sure my face showed my horrified shock, but Rin seemed overly bored with my reaction.  
My mind whirled at the speed if light with different questions along the lines of _'What's his class about?' 'Why are you both at the same college?'_ or even _'What are you studying?'_

But no, what came out of my incredibly intelligent mouth was none of these.  
My oh-so brilliant query was: "You're out of high school?"  
The emotions that flitted across his face both terrified and intrigued me: firstly, confusion. Then surprise before realization. There goes anger and something I couldn't quite catch.

"Why? Is it _that_ much of a shock? Or do I just seem too child-like and ignorant?" He snapped. "First Yukio, then _you. _I'm not a nitwit that can't tie my own damn shoes!"

_'Shit, he's pissed. Wait... Is he turning _blue?'

As Rin continued to rant about the injustice of the people in his life, there was a distinct fiery blue outline to his person.  
"Oi, k- kid, are you alright?" Even _I_ know that when someone starts spouting fire, something's bound to go horribly wrong— I needed to calm him down.

_Fast._

"Why the fuck do _you_ care? I'm only a high school brat who needs someone to tie my bib on and hold my spoon for me!" He spat sarcastically.

I don't know why this set me off, but it did. Another great aspect of mine is my 'stellar' ability to control my anger and hold my tongue.

"Because children like _you_ need a constant eye on them, or they'll cause armageddon," I shot back, none too kindly. "If you so desperately want people to stop viewing you as insignificant or useless, you've gotta use these special things called _actions_. They're particularly magical when they're used to prove a point."  
When I paused for a breath, I noticed that he wasn't trying to stab me to death with his eyes; but he _was_ frowning as if he was deep in thought.  
While Rin was silent, I sheathed tetsusaiga and waited for him to come to his conclusion.

"... It sounds like you're speaking from experience," was the quiet reply a few moments later. "You used to be treated like shit, too. Right?"

I glanced at him quickly, surprised. "Y- yeah, I guess you could say that..." I studied him for a short while before I continued. "I'm a hanyou— a half demon— we aren't welcomed too warmly back where I'm from. However, I have an older brother named Sesshomaru. He's a full demon, and fully favoured by anyone who's not against demon blood of any kind. Except my father; but he died protecting my mom from a crazy ex. A few years later, Mother died too. She was the only human who didn't cross themselves at the sight of me."

Rin's eyes softened, the expected reaction to my life story.

What I didn't expect, however, was his reply.


	3. Supervention (Rin)

So there's this guy...

Who's telling me his life story...

In the back of an alley that's littered with demon-henchmen corpses...

After he saves my ass from getting abducted to hell...

_What the actual fu-_

"I'm a hanyou— a half demon— we aren't welcomed too warmly back where I'm from. And there's my older brother, Sesshomaru; he's a full demon, and fully favoured between the two of us. Well except by my father— but he died protecting my mom from a crazy ex— and then a few years later, Mother died too. She was the only human who didn't cross them self at the sight of me."

_'Wow, this guy's been through some pretty awful shit,'_ I thought to myself.  
True— his story was heart wrenching, but that doesn't mean I can't bemoan my own pitfalls.  
"So there's a name for us?" I watched the confusion travel across Inuyasha's face and pushed on. "Oh, sorry. I forgot to mention that I'm the son of the devil... _Literally_— My human mom didn't make it through delivery and I've never met my... _Father_," I spat harshly, then paused. "And even though Yukio doesn't seem to have any demon blood, he's constantly running little tests on himself to make sure he won't 'develop it'," I air quoted the last few words with a somewhat wry smile. "He doesn't understand that this... This _curse_... Isn't some t-shirt size that you can grow into— you either have it, or you don't."  
I looked up after I'd finished my rant, and found Inuyasha staring at me with the oddest expression on his face. "And how old are the two of you?" He asked after a while.

"Twenty-one. How old're you?"

"Twenty-three," Inuyasha replied slowly, as if he was trying to think something over carefully. "So what are you gonna do now? Obviously, step one— get ambushed by strange creatures behind an abandoned tattoo parlor and a run-down laundromat— is accomplished. Any more thrilling plans?" He smirked.

"It's not like I _plan _to have my demon king of a father send his henchmen to attack me on a weekly schedule," I huff indignantly and cross my arms.

He chuckles suddenly, but covers his mouth in a futile attempt to stifle his laughter when I growl at him.

"S- sorry," he gasps out between snorts. "You just looked like a disgruntled little_ kitten!" _

This dude's chortling is really starting to grate on my nerves.

While he's carrying on, though, I notice that as the sun begins to show its bright pink and orange rays, Inuyasha's hair is beginning to lighten from a dark black to a shimmery silver. And not just that— were those... _Dog ears?!_


	4. Expiation (Inuyasha)

_ 'He may be dangerously pissed, _and_ have Satan for a father, but this little guy is acting as cute as hell,'_ I think to myself, wiping tears from my eyes after my laughter subsides. Eventually, I notice Rin's face makes a gradual change to slightly awed, horrified, and confused all at once- I shrug and bend to pick up tetsusaiga; though as I straighten, my hair falls over my shoulder and I realize that its blackened color is now a silvery white again. I feel my eyes widen as I give a whoop of joy and punch the air with my free hand. "I'm _me_ again!" I holler excitedly and run over to wrap Rin in a huge bear hug. I released him with a rushed apology after he started flailing and complaining that he couldn't breathe.

Flexing my claws, I glance over at him with an unasked question in my eyes: _impressed?_

Rin shakes his head slightly and rolls his eyes. I huff. "So do I need to escort you home or what?" I ask, somewhat sarcastically.

"Only if you want to," he replies. "Though Yukio'd have my tail if I showed up with a strange man at my doorstep..." Rin seemed hesitant to leave alone, but equally as nervous to have my company.

"You'll be fine; we can just say I'm in one of your courses, okay?" I said, trying to sound as reassuring as I possibly could. I watched his face as he mulled it over for a few minutes, then he nodded and chuckled.

"I suppose that would work; all we have to do now is choose which class we have in common... How's world mythology sound?"

_'This kid studies_ world mythology? _Huh, learn somethin' new every second you spend with him.'_ I thought to myself, then out loud, "Yeah, sure."

~ • ~ * ~ • ~

After a ten minute walk, Rin stopped in front of a considerably well-kept house. It had light, grayish-blue siding and black trim on the shutters and corners. It seemed to be a two-story with a big picture window in front. I followed Rin to the front door and waited patiently behind him as he unlocked and opened it. Once inside, I took notice of the living room on my left, and the kitchen and stairs to my right.

"Well," began Rin, as he threw his back to the floor and flopped onto a couch. "Make yourself at home. Yukio will be back pretty soon, just so you know." I grunted an acknowledgement and sat down on the other side of the couch, propping my feet up on the conveniently placed coffee table.

Suddenly, Rin groaned and laboriously stood back up. I raised an eyebrow at him when he looked back at me, the question of "what now?" was obvious in my expression.

"I forgot that I have to make supper before Yukio gets home, so I have to get to the kitchen and, ya know... Make food." Rin explained.  
I nodded my understanding. "Should I offer to help?" I asked, hoping to be turned down.

"Might as well; as long as you won't burn down my house or cause yourself life-threatening harm I don't mind your help."

I sighed internally with disgust. "Yeah, sure," I said with as much cheer as I could muster without sounding sarcastic. I heaved myself off of the couch and followed him to kitchen.

* • * • * • *


	5. Coincidental (Rin)

'Does he even know how to cook?' I asked myself. 'Probably not.'

Inuyasha trudges along behind me, his grumpy demeanor solidifying my thought. "If it's alright with you, I'm gonna give you the easiest steps." I received an affirmative noise, so I assumed he understood. I reached into a drawer, pulled out a knife, and handed it to him. "I'll wash and peel potatoes, then hand them to you so you can cube them and throw them into a pot of water, okay?"  
"Seems easy enough," Inuyasha shrugged. I went to the pantry and grabbed the sack of potatoes and a few candy onions. Returning to the counter, I place the potatoes next to the sink so I can scrub the dirt off, then place them aside for now.  
After I get a nice-sized pile, I pull a potato peeler out of a drawer and start peeling the potatoes before handing them over to Inuyasha. With the last one peeled, I reach down and grab a pot from the cupboard, fill it with water, and set it on the stove to boil.  
Then I turn to the fridge and get the chicken I left thawing. I also grab the cutting board and another knife and begin slicing the chicken into small chunks. When I finish with that, I pull out a pan from the cupboard, fill the bottom with a little water, and set it on the stove top. I then grab some spices like lemon pepper and garlic powder and season the chicken with a dash of each.  
While I leave it to soak in the flavors, I start chopping the onions to sauté with the chicken. Luckily, there are no tears shed with my expert culinary skills this time.  
After I get all of this out of the way, I look over at Inuyasha to see how he's coming along.

Four. He has _four_ potatoes cubed and in the pot.

"Would you like some help, or would you rather keep the snail's pace you've got?" I ask sarcastically.  
He grunts indignantly, and moves aside so I can reach in and grab the majority of what potatoes were left; about a dozen. I begin slicing the potatoes over the already boiling pot. By the time he finishes, I have one left that needs cubed. So I gesture for him to take it, which he does.  
However, his luck has apparently run out for the kitchen- when he goes to make the first cut, his knife slips, catching a good part of his thumb.  
Since I'm not paying him much attention at this point, the only reason I knew he had cut himself was the long string of vocabulary that would probably make even a sailor blush. I sigh heavily and reach above the sink to get into the cupboard with the first aid kit. When I grab it, I pull it down, accidentally knocking down the fire extinguisher that coincidentally sat in front of the kit.  
Of course I'm too frozen to act, so the only thing I can do is watch as it plummets towards me.  
Suddenly, I feel the wind knocked out of me when I hit the floor. When my vision clears, I see a concerned Inuyasha staring closely into my face.  
"Are you alright?" He asks. I scowl. "Yeah, dandy. Thanks," I snap in reply.

_ Ugh._ The only thing that could make this awkward moment even better is if-

"Rin, who the hell is that?" I hear my brother ask, exasperated.


	6. Imbroglio (Inuyasha)

Okay I admit it— my cooking skills would likely give Gordon Ramsey an aneurysm. So why did I volunteer in the first place? To be honest, I'm not sure; I just know that I kinda felt compelled for some reason.

All in all, I figured that there would be some sort of mishap where I would break something, or injure myself or Rin.

Though I'm glad it was only me, it still hurt like a bitch to slice open the fleshy side of my thumb; and it must be physically impossible for any one body to contain that much blood.

However, what I didn't expect was for Rin to force me to save his ass for the second time in roughly three hours. Though a better solution may have been to deflect the box, I ended up trying to gather my scattered thoughts while lying on top of an equally dazed Rin.

The moment was then enormously improved by the entrance of a young man who looked strikingly similar to the runt I had rescued from a deserted alleyway.

"Rin, who the hell is that?" I hear the new guy ask, seemingly exasperated.

"Y- Yukio!" Rin stuttered as he tried and failed to clamber out from under me. I finally roll off of him— albeit a few seconds late— and he stands, awkwardly brushing off his shirt.

"This is, uh, Inuyasha. We're course mates; I invited him over for a study session and he offered to help cook supper since it was getting late. Though," Rin pointedly glares at me. "He failed to mention how inept he is in the kitchen." I scoff indignantly.

"I'm not _that_ bad," I retorted. "I do well enough to feed myself."

Rin rolled his eyes. "Yeah, sure."

Yukio cleared his throat, clearly unamused with our bickering. Rin shuffled awkwardly before eventually opening his mouth. "So uh Yukio, did you see the score on my last test?"

_ 'What the hell brought _that_ up?'_ I mused.

Yukio glares at Rin, and I see his eyes almost glitter with anger.

"Yes, Rin. I _have_ seen your grades; did they make you want to cry as much as I do?" The younger twin shoots back, making Rin and I both wince. "Honestly," he sighs. "Am I tutoring you for _nothing?"_

Rin grimaces, and I choose this moment to open my big mouth.

"What subjects are you struggling the most in?" I ask Rin. Yukio blinks in surprise before glancing over at me.

"Well ah, the History of Demons is his lowest score; I'm sure if we could get that one up, we'd be fine." Yukio turns somewhat bashful. "But to be completely honest, that's my weak spot, too."

"Oh, that's no problem for me; I love demonic history so much that I might as well have _lived_ back then." I laugh a bit.

Yukio's face brightens instantly. "You wouldn't be willing to help Rin with his studies, would you, ahh..." He pauses. "What was your name again?"

"Inuyasha," I supply. "Of course. I'd be delighted to be able to tutor Rin."

It seems that the student in question assumes we'd forgotten about him, and coughs pointedly.

"Oh, sorry Rin," Yukio and I say in unison, making us both chuckle.

Suddenly, and much to my embarrassment, my stomach makes an indignant 'feed me' noise, causing me to blush. Yukio turns to Rin.

"Did you get supper finished?" He asks. Rin's eyes widen when he seems to remember the food he'd left cooking on the stove.

Racing back to the kitchen close on Rin's heels, we find clouds of smoke billowing from what used to be edible food.

"You have _got_ to be kidding me!" He bursts angrily.

_**Imbroglio**__** (noun)**_

_** An altercation or complicated situation.**_


End file.
